It has now been established that because of their high coefficient of effect on ozone, CFCs will, in the long or medium term, be replaced by refrigerant fluids which no longer contain chlorine and are consequently less aggressive towards the environment.
When compared with completely halogenated compounds, 1,1,1-trifluoroethane (HFA 143a), perfluoropropane (HFA 218) and propane (R 290) have a very weak effect on the environment. However, their use in refrigeration results in a relatively low refrigerating power, a high compression ratio and, consequently, high operating costs.